Conventionally, when dicing tape is to be stuck on a semiconductor wafer in a semiconductor manufacturing process, for example, a wafer 42 is placed on a pedestal 41 and tape 43 is stuck on the wafer 42 by pressing the tape 43 from above by using a roller 44 with rubber adhered on its surface, a cylindrical block, or the like as shown in FIG. 17. However, there has been a problem in this method that since the process is carried out in the atmosphere, air tends to be trapped between the wafer 42 and the tape 43, and if the dicing is carried out (i.e., the chip is divided) in that state, cracking and chipping occur.
Therefore, a sticking apparatus that sticks tape under vacuum has been proposed. For example, as shown in FIG. 18, Patent literature 1 discloses a tape sticking apparatus 50 including a chamber 52 having an airtight space 51 formed therein, a rubber sheet 56 that divides the airtight space 51 into first and second airtight spaces 53 and 54, a frame pedestal 58 that holds tape 57 above the rubber sheet 56, and first and second air-flow passages 59 and 60 that are used to switch the air-pressure state of the first and second airtight spaces 53 and 54 between vacuum/atmospheric states, in which a wafer 55 is placed on the top surface of the rubber sheet 56.
In the tape sticking apparatus 50, the first and second airtight spaces 53 and 54 are first brought into a vacuum state, and then only the second airtight space 54 is switched to an atmospheric state, thereby generating a pressure difference between the first and second airtight spaces 53 and 54. As a result, the rubber sheet is inflated and the wafer 55 is pushed upward, thereby bringing the wafer 55 into contact with the adhesive surface (rear surface) of the tape 57. This tape sticking apparatus 50 makes it possible to stick the tape 57 on the wafer 55 under vacuum and thereby to prevent air from being trapped therebetween.